Tue, May 17, 2005
Forecasters at the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder,
Colo., observed a geomagnetic storm on Sunday, May 15, which they
classified as an extreme event, measuring G-5—the highest
level—on the NOAA Space Weather Scales.
"This event registered a 9 on the K-Index, which measures the
maximum deviation of the Earth's magnetic field in a given
three-hour period," said Gayle Nelson, lead operations specialist
at NOAA Space Environment Center. "The scale ranges from 0 to 9,
with 9 being the highest. This was a significant event."
Possible impacts from such a geomagnetic storm include
widespread power system voltage control problems; some grid systems
may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may
experience damage. Spacecraft operations may experience extensive
surface charging; problems with orientation; uplink/downlink and
tracking satellites. Satellite navigation may be degraded for days,
and low-frequency radio navigation can be out for hours. Reports
received by the NOAA Space Environment Center indicate that such
impacts have been observed in the United States.
NOAA forecasters said the probability of another major event of
this type is unlikely, however, other minor level (G-1) geomagnetic
storms are possible within the next 24 hours. This event was
forecast by NOAA as the result of a solar flare that occurred on
Friday, May 13.
The NOAA Space Environment Center, one of the NOAA National
Centers for Environmental Prediction, is home to the nation's early
warning system for solar activities that directly affect people and
equipment on Earth and in space. The NOAA Space Environment
Center’s 24/7 around-the-clock operations are critical in
protecting space and ground-based assets. Through the SEC, NOAA and
the U.S. Air Force jointly operate the space weather operations
center that continuously monitors, analyzes and forecasts the
environment between the sun and Earth. In addition to the data
gathered from NOAA and NASA satellites, the center receives
real-time solar and geophysical information from ground-based
observatories around the world. NOAA space weather forecasters use
the data to predict solar and geomagnetic activity and issue
worldwide alerts of extreme events.
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